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Philadelphia's Dining Scene: What's New And Notable?
Gastropubs, Reopenings, Upscale Markets, Sunset Dining
Press Release
PHILADELPHIA’S DINING SCENE: WHAT’S NEW AND NOTABLE?
Gastropubs, Reopenings, Upscale Markets, Sunset Dining
New On The Scene
An elegant newcomer to the Washington Square neighborhood, Palace at the Ben serves refined Indian cuisine in its suite of saffron and pomegranate-hued dining rooms. Traditional dishes like Tandoori grilled meats and palak panir (homemade cheese sautéed with spinach) are dressed up on geometric dishes; the cocktail and dessert lists offer innovative concoctions like an Indian-style mojito and chai crème brûlée.
Water Works Restaurant and Lounge
Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC
Two South Philly institutions now have northern siblings. Sabrina’s Café and Spencer’s, Too is the Art Museum area sequel to Sabrina’s, the Italian Market brunch blockbuster. The menu has the same inventive stuffed French toasts, seasonal pancakes and juicy burgers on which the original location built its rabid fan base. The owners of L’Angolo have branched out with Salento, a larger—by L’Angolo’s standards—bring-your-own-bottle (BYO) spot on Walnut Street specializing in Puglia fare like homemade semolina pasta, spiedini (lamb loin skewers) and lamb sausage.
Elsewhere, Italian cooking continues to thrive: Franco’s Trattoria has opened in East Falls, serving simple classics like Chicken Piemontese, tableside-filleted branzino and tiramisu on its pleasant river-facing patio. At Edgemont’s Trattoria Guiseppe, the emphasis is on old-fashioned home-style dishes like four-cheese ravioli and veal marsala.
In the suburbs, Honey is a warmly lit Doylestown bistro of the “inspired American” variety. Plates large and small include twelve-hour roasted pork belly with caramelized peaches and pecan-crusted soft shell crabs. Warminster’s Yazmin is the creation of Chef Simon Vong and owner Buu Lee, who bring their love of contemporary pan-Asian cooking to this new white-tablecloth BYO.
Gastropubs Galore
These days, Philly bars take their food as seriously as their draught selection. The gastropub trend that began with standard-setting Standard Tap has grown to include high-achieving burger mavens like North Third and Good Dog. More recently, Yello’bar has taken up residence in Graduate Hospital, giving drinkers access to duck quesadillas and pretzel burgers. In Fairmount, St. Stephens Green turns out solid pub food like bangers and mash, fish and chips and flank steak sandwiches. Society Hill’s Zot is Belgian to the core with 250 different beers, 30 kinds of mussels, plus game meats and escargots in a stylish exposed-brick-and-beams setting. Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne picks up where the adjacent Teresa’s Café leaves off—with hundreds of beer choices and Belgian delicacies like mussels and fried cheese.
What’s Old Is New
Even better than a brand new restaurant? An old favorite reincarnated with new ownership and new talent. Northern Liberties’ Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus, one of the best and most storied live jazz venues in town, changed hands and reopened with chef Michael Suminski, a Mario Batali and Four Seasons Hotel-trained chef who whips up delicious Cajun cuisine such as chipotle pork ribs, ethereal fried calamari and spectacular daily changing bread puddings. Also in Northern Liberties, the decades-old diner/club Silk City was reborn under the watchful eye of new owner Mark Bee, who plucked chef Peter Dunmire from North Third. The updated menu lists favorites like meatloaf and burgers, as well as upscale treats like duck and sweet potato empanadas.
To Market
A spate of new upscale markets provides first-rate ingredients and prepared foods for both the ambitious chef and the convenience-seeking eater. Occupying the corner of 13th and Chestnut Streets, Grocery trades in sandwiches, pastries, teas and gourmet goodies, plus takeout fare from chef/co-owner Marcie Turney’s restaurant Lolita. Manayunk newcomer Ingredient Specialty Foods stocks its shelves with local produce, Capogiro gelato and dozens of cheeses. The mother of all specialty markets, Di Bruno Bros., wows with its Chestnut Street library of cured and smoked meats, global cheeses and breads—not to mention the cases overflowing with pastries, paninis and prepared goodies like garlic-sautéed broccoli rabe and prosciutto-stuffed chicken breasts.
Sun-tastic Views
There’s nothing like a gorgeous view of the sun setting to enhance the ambiance of a meal, and in Philadelphia, a diner doesn’t have to search too far to find a restaurant that serves delicious food with a generous helping of sunset. One of the newest and most dramatic is the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge, built into a grandly historic neo-classical former utilities plant that’s perched above the Schuylkill River. Docked on Philadelphia’s other river, the Delaware, the Moshulu blends fine dining and a lively outdoor bar aboard a 100-year-old four-masted tall ship. For those explorers taking a scenic drive along Bucks County’s River Road, the 18th-century Black Bass Hotel prides itself on its vast collection of English art and antiques and expansive picture windows that overlook the water. And concert-goers at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts can pack an elegant picnic to eat on the lawn, head to the concessions at the top of the hill or dine alfresco-style at the Vista Grill, where they can feast from an ornate three-course buffet and watch the sun go down.
Featured Chef: Bryan Sikora
It can be argued that chef Bryan Sikora, along with his wife Aimee Olexy, revolutionized Philadelphia dining when they founded their intimate jewel box of a BYOB bistro Django in 2001. With a Culinary Institute of America education under his belt, plus training in restaurants across the country, Sikora looked for a more intimate, more personal outlet for his creative cooking. It wasn’t long before Django’s globally inflected American cuisine, precise table service and seasonal local menus became hallmarks of the city’s unique BYO culture. Sikora and Olexy sold Django in 2005, but they have gone on to open Talula’s Table, a boutique market in Kennett Square that offers specialty ingredients as well as freshly made pastries, breads and oven-ready takeaway meals. Sikora’s artful approach is evident in the handmade goat cheese gnocchi, Provençal fish soup and chorizo-stuffed quail. Best of all, Sikora also prepares private dinners at the market’s sought-after farmhouse table.
Featured Neighborhood: Fishtown/Port Richmond
Philadelphians have been flocking to Tacconelli’s for the widely lauded pizza for decades. But now new restaurants and cafes are sprouting up on a regular basis, making Fishtown and Port Richmond a true dining destination with options for all occasions. The Fishtown BYO Bistro Juliana comes courtesy of owners Luigi Basile and Massimo Coscia, who bring their Italian hospitality and swoon-worthy whole baked fish that’s made their Old City restaurant Radicchio a perennial hit. Morning and midday meals are the focus at nearby Ida Mae’s Bruncherie, where tender buttermilk pancakes and one of the city’s only Irish breakfast plates are served up hot. Comfort food is big around these parts, too. The homey Hinge Café obliges eaters all day with Monte Cristos and bacon-wrapped shrimp, as well as art exhibitions, live music and yoga classes. Housed in a former state store, Hot Potato Café is Fishtown’s source for crab dip and turkey dinners. At Port Richmond’s sunny little Mercer Café, the neighborhood favorites are the hefty omelets and mascarpone French toast. There are great options for late-night eating, too: Patrons can belly up to the bar for the crabs, wings and potato logs at Byrne’s Tavern, or munch on seasonal chalkboard specials like lamb chops or grilled octopus, washed down by local beer at Johnny Brenda’s.
ADDRESS BOOK
New On The Scene:
- Palace at the Ben, 834 Chestnut Street, (267) 232-5600, www.palace-of-asia.com
- Cobre, 812 N. Broad Street, (215) 235-1881
- Koja Grille, 1600 N. Broad Street, (215) 763-KOJA, www.kojagrille.com
- Sabrina’s Café and Spencer’s, Too, 1802-1804 Callowhill Street, (215) 636-9061
- Sabrina’s Café, 910 Christian Street, (215) 574-1599, www.sabrinascafe.com
- L’Angolo, 1415 Porter Street, (215) 389-4252
- Salento, 2216 Walnut Street, (215) 568-1314
- Franco’s Trattoria, 4116 Ridge Avenue, (215) 438-4848
- Trattoria Guiseppe, 4799 West Chester Pike, Edgemont, (610) 353-4871
- Honey, 42 Shewell Avenue, Doylestown, (215) 489-4200, www.honeyrestaurant.com
- Yazmin, 340 York Road, Warminster, (215) 443-0800, (215) 443-2636
Gastropubs Galore:
- Standard Tap, 901 N. 2nd Street, (215) 238-0630, www.standardtap.com
- North Third, 801 N. 3rd Street, (215) 413-3666, www.norththird.com
- Good Dog, 224 S. 15th Street, (215) 985-9600, www.gooddogbar.com
- Yello’bar, 2425 Grays Ferry Avenue, (215) 735-3533, www.yell-obar.com
- St. Stephens Green, 1701 Green Street, (215) 769-5000
- Zot, 122 Lombard Street, (267) 639-3260, www.zotrestaurant.com
- Teresa’s Café & Next Door Bar, 126 N. Wayne Avenue, Wayne, (610) 293-9909 for the café, (610) 293-0119 for the bar
What’s Old Is New:
- Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus, 847 N. 3rd Street, (215) 922-1035, www.ortliebsjazzhaus.com
- Silk City, 435 Spring Garden Street, (215) 592-8838
- North Third, 801 N. 3rd Street, (215) 413-3666, www.norththird.com
To Market:
- Grocery, 101-105 S. 13th Street, (215) 922-5252
- Lolita, 106 S. 13th Street, (215) 546-7100, www.lolitabyob.com
- Ingredient Specialty Foods, 4335 Main Street, (215) 483-4888, www.ingredientfoods.com
- Di Bruno Bros., 1730 Chestnut Street, (215) 665-9220, www.dibruno.com
Sun-tastic Views:
- Water Works Restaurant and Lounge, 640 Water Works Drive, (215) 236-9000, www.thewaterworksrestaurant.com
- Moshulu, 401 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 923-2500, www.moshulu.com
- Black Bass Hotel, 3774 River Road, Lumberville, (215) 297-5770, www.blackbasshotel.com
- The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 52nd Street & Parkside Avenue, (215) 893-1999, www.manncenter.org
Featured Chef: Bryan Sikora:
- Django, 526 S 4th Street, (215) 922-7151
- Talula’s Table, 102 W. State Street, Kennett Square, (610) 444-8255, www.talulastable.com
Featured Neighborhood: Fishtown/Port Richmond:
- Tacconelli’s, 2604 E. Somerset Street, (215) 425-4983
- Bistro Juliana, 2723 E. Cumberland Street, (215) 425-2501
- Ida Mae’s Bruncherie, 2302 E. Norris Street, (215) 426-4209
- Hinge Café, 2652 E. Somerset Street, (215) 425-6614, www.hingecafe.com
- Hot Potato Café, 529 E. Girard Avenue, (215) 425-0905, www.hotpotatocafe.com
- Mercer Café, 2619 E. Westmoreland Street, (215) 426-2153
- Byrne’s Tavern, 3301 Richmond Street, (215) 423-3444
- Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Avenue, (215) 739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research.
CONTACT:
Donna Schorr, GPTMC
(215) 599-0782, donna@gptmc.com
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